After a busy winter ski patrolling at Cardrona Alpine resort, IFMGA Mountain Guide Gaz went away with regular ski touring clients Duncan and Bernie, and this time instead of to Tasman Saddle region, went to Plateau Hut, below Aoraki Mt Cook for a grande ski tour with classic big mountain vistas and great corn skiing.
Tag Archives: ski touring in New Zealand
2024 winter is upon us
2024 winter is here, and nice cold temps have prevailed so far early season. Not much precipitation as of yet, but early days.
Gary is ski patrolling up at Cardrona Alpine Resort again for the season.
He has a ski tour planned with the usual suspects from Auckland in Late October, and today has had return client Matt booking in a climbing refresher week early November…..
Ski touring locally
Ski touring locally off the back of Treble Cone and Cardrona is looking good as the snow is there and the storms have put the snow down. A reasonable cover of snow has been good for the ski fields and also the back country ski touring conditions. The weather forecast this coming week is for great sunniness and excellent local ski touring.
Rock climbing in Switzerland
Switzerland has amazing rock walls and superb multipitch climbs on them.
Iris and Gaz climbed at Sanetsch ( 2240m alt) yesterday – a beautiful cloudless, sunny alpine climbing day in Switzerland.
Back in NZ – Iris got an alert on her phone here in Switzerland – chains required on the Crown range , Wanaka, NZ. Yep, the winter snows have well and truly arrived in New Zealand setting the winter snow pack up beautifully for ski touring in September/October.
Enjoy you alpine passions….
Ski Touring in NZ
It’s storming outside, and snowing in the backcountry. Another log goes on the fire in our base here in Wanaka, NZ. Yes we are about to head over to Switzerland for 3 Months( for the Swiss summer), and then return for what looks like a great ski touring season shaping up.
Ski touring in September and October might be something you are thinking about. At that time of the winter, there will be maximum snow, more stable snow pack and warmer temperatures up high at 2400m where we stay in the NZ mountain huts and go touring. The most fantastic time to go touring in the big mountains and glaciers in the backcountry.
It’s not too early to think about and get in touch.
Spring Ski touring NZ
Novemeber 2017 – a momentous occassion having the ‘crew’ back doing a fabulous ski touring trip based at the recently spruced up Tasman Saddle hut, Head of the Tasman Glacier, NZ. John C, Phil, Bill and ( new to the ‘crew’) John K had four days of excellent spring ski touring, hut banter and general sunny alpine / backcountry skiing goodtimes. Great to having it happen again for the base crew after a break of several years. 🙂
From mountaineering in NZ to climbing in Switzerland and back to NZ ski touring
As snow lovers in New Zealand had started the best winter in a long time, we enjoyed an amazing run of summer weather in Europe and particularly lots of good climbing in Switzerland. Interested? again in July/August 2016 and don’t hesitate to ask!
Presently, ski touring is still on in the Southern Alps and masses of snow are left for some good ski touring fun out there, as long as those crazy Spring winds would settle somewhat! soon!
Gary can be booked again as a mountain guide this coming NZ summer. Top quality mountaineering instruction courses right here in NZ, Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud. From now on, he will offer his guiding service under the concession and sms of Alpine Guides in Mt Cook-Aoraki. Our guided trekking excursions are now part of the past, but we can give you tips and advice anytime for free.
The Alpinism studio-cottage is available again for your independent holidays here in Wanaka, be it action packed or relaxing or mixed.
Enjoy whatever you do and stay safe.
Ski touring in New Zealand
With all the fresh snow fallen a week ago, winter activities will be on many minds, here just a small selection of photos from past trips in the Southern Alps. While some keen snow lovers are already out there ski touring somewhere in the mountains of New Zealand, remember that back country skiing amoungst glaciated terrain can still be very dangerous and the amount of snow fallen has by no means filled up the crevasses nor made the bergschrunds safe just yet. Enjoy but make sure you have the skills out there. Courses are offered by top mountain guide instructor Gary Dickson, IFMGA expert in NZ. His next job is instructing/assessing in Iceland again, helping the professional glacier guides with quality standards in the industry. But before we leave, the annual general meeting of NZMGA is on the agenda where he’ll act as Mr President.
The first ski tour has been put on the schedule and if you – or anybody you know – are keen on an NZ back country ski tour late winter/spring with chief guide Gaz, at this stage you have the choice from 23rd September on wards. We can be reached any time via email, just beware that occasionally we might be out of touch longer than usual, sitting in plane, or otherwise relocating in the Swiss Alps without the online setup.
From summer alpinism in Europe to Ski Touring in NZ
Back in the land of the long white cloud and we had fun on the snow for the last few weeks!
Mountain guide Gary’s last mountaineering instruction course in the Swiss Alps for this year ended the month of August. Then home bound and skis out it was, back to our base in beautiful Wanaka.
A few photos from our alpinism adventures with Wanaka locals Phil & Barb, starting in Kandersteg, Switzerland:
- Phil and Barb on the way to Fründenhütte
Alpinism adventures in Switzerland
- Wanaka trekking team in Switzerland
Mountain guide Gaz with Phil and Barb on a guided trekking adventure in Switzerland
- Blüemlisalp Alpinism Adventures with Gary Dickson, IFMGA-NZMGA mountain guide
Alpinism adventures in Europe with a mountain guide
- Phil taking a breather on the way up
Views of Blüemlisalp and the Fründenhütte
- Above Kandersteg in the Swiss Alps
mountain guide for Alpinism Adventures
- Oeschinensee with views of the hike up to Blüemlisalphut
Swiss Alps guided trekking
- Lunch time , great day for a good spread
Guided alpinism in Switzerland
- views at lunch time
Guided treks in Europe
- lovely colours along the way: Forgetmenot
A Forgetmenot on a guided trek n Switzerland
- Gentians with their stunning blue
Alpine flora on guided trekking trips
- A lovely view point for a snack
Guided Trekking above Kandersteg
- Phil, Barb and Gary on the way down
guided trekking in Europe
- Swiss Alps trekking adventure
Wanaka locals trekking in Switzerland
- Oeschinensee and evening light on Blümlisalp
Swill alpinism adventures
- Views on the way to Blümlisalphut
Swiss alpinism adventures with a mountain guide
- On the way to Fruendenhut, a steep hike near Bluemlisalp
Crossing a Swiss glacier water gorge near Oeschinensee on a guided trekking adventure
- Glacier water and its creations
Swiss glacier water
- Trekking in Switzerland, Phil and Barb with Gary
Mountain guide Gaz and long term mountaineering client Phil with wife Barb on an Alpinism adventure in Switzerland
- Oeschinensee above Kandersteg in Switzerland
Swiss nature and culture on a guided trekking and alpinism adventure
- Happy Swiss times
Interested in 6-7 days of Ski Touring adventures in the Southern Alps of NZ:
Dates : 23 – 30 October 2014 – get in touch now
Cost details: http://www.alpinismski.co.nz/ski-touring.html
Ski touring in New Zealand starting in Wanaka
News from home is good, lots of snow is falling and snow sports are happening back in Wanaka while we are still into summer mountaineering in Europe.
Ski touring in New Zealand is not far away for us and don’t hesitate to get in touch for your very own adventure: